Elgen Corporation
The Elgen Corporation (or just the Elgen) is a despotic corporation and the main antagonistic force of the Michael Vey book series. The company is led by Dr. Hatch, their CEO. Before the Michael Vey series takes place, it was a medical equipment provider. However, after the birth of the Glows (electric kids), Dr. Hatch turned it into one of the most profitable corporations in the world by building Starxource plants, which were bioelectric power plants. As of Storm of Lightning, the Elgen Corporation is in control of at least 13% of the world's commercial and residential electricity. Despite being a renewable energy provider, the corporation is more of a private security force that is headed by its corrupt board members. History Background The Elgen Corporation was founded and incorporated in 1984 as a medical technology developer in a seven story tower in Pasadena, California. One of their first products was an electric nerve ender for back pain. The scientists at the company were mainly specializing in electroanalgesia. In the 1988, the company hired David Welch, who would later become their security captain. In 1995, one of the Elgen's scientists, a man named Dr. Steven Coonradt had discovered a breakthrough in magnesia that could cure sickness in newborn infants (this breakthrough earned the Elgen Corporation hundreds of millions of dollars). It was also during this time that Briton Hill, the Elgen's CEO, had passed away. Eventually, the Elgen's investors hired an MIT graduate named Charles James Hatch. At this time, Coonradt, with the assistance of Carl Vey, who was the Head of Radiology at Pasadena General Hospital, and his assistant, Anna Ferguson, developed the MEI, a machine to cure babies using Coonradt's scientific breakthrough. In the essence of success, the company installed the MEI in Pasadena General, during the time which Carl Vey's wife, Sharon, was pregnant with their son Michael. However, the chairman of the Elgen, Giacomo Schema, and the Elgen's investors, got impatient, and Hatch was forced to test the machine before it was ready (against Coonradt's warnings). The machine killed all but seventeen of the babies it was tested on. One of the surviving babies was Michael Vey, who was Carl Vey's son. Now accused of at least 42 murder charges, the board moved the Elgen's headquarters into a multimillion-dollar superyacht called the Ampere. In the attempt to keep the MEI hidden, Schema realized that some of the MEI's producers who were not directly employed by Elgen could threaten the company with lawsuits, and had them "disappear" (either murdered or captured as human test subjects). Among other things, Hatch was demoted to director, and was ordered to find the seventeen children in case they started dying as well. However, a few years before Coonradt's death, he and Hatch reengineered the MEI and tested it on rats. The results successfully electricified the rats, and Hatch presented a prototype called the Elecage to Schema and the other directors. The board approved, and the Starxource Program, an initiative where these rats were bred and used in power plants as energy sources, was created. The Program was a massive success, and subsequently turned the Elgen Corporation into one of the most powerful organizations in the world. ''The Prisoner of Cell 25'' By the time the first Michael Vey book takes place, the Elgen Corporation owns and operates Elgen Academy, a private training course where the Glows develop their powers disguised as a prestigious school (Hatch bribes the newcoming Glows with expensive gifts and privileges). However, Michael Vey and his group, the Electroclan, shut the Academy down, and force Hatch to flee to Peru. ''Rise of the Elgen'' Michael learns that after the defect of the MEI, Hatch and Coonradt tested an upgraded MEI on rats, and successfully electrified them. These rats are used in powering Starxource plants, and the Elgen are starting to take over the world's energy. They also learn that the company has a plant in Peru, where Mrs. Vey was being held. Eventually, Michael and the Electroclan manage to shut down the Peruvian Starxource plant by destroying its cooling facility (as the electrified rats cannot withstand the heat of each other). This costs the Elgen Corporation billions of dollars, and the country of Peru enters a national crisis. The Peruvian government labels the Electroclan (with the exception of Michael and Tanner) terrorists. ''Battle of the Ampere'' The corporation joins forces with the Peruvian army, and both Elgen guards and Peruvian soldiers catch the Electroclan. Meanwhile, Hatch and his loyal Glows take over the Ampere with three corrupt board members (they go by numbers Six, Seven, and Eleven), and regains the position of CEO. Hatch announces that he plans to establish a land base for the corporation. He plans on taking over the small isle of Tuvalu with force, and use the Starxource Plant the company built there as a base of operations. Despite his efforts, Michael, Ostin Liss, Taylor, Jack, and McKenna destroy the Ampere, delaying Hatch's plants, much to his fury. Hatch, his guards, the Glows, and the corrupt board members escape. ''Hunt For Jade Dragon'' The Elgen, now having lost their main headquarters, briefly bases itself in the Taiwanese Starxource Plant after sailing to Taiwan from Peru in their fleet of ships. Unlike the Peruvian plant, the Taiwan plant is much more large and has better protection (because the company has stricken a deal with Taiwan's government, the Taiwanese Army is now guarding the plant with the Elgen's soldiers). The Electroclan manages to rescue Jade Dragon from the plant, but they are almost captured by the Army and the Elgen. In this book, Gervaso, a former marine who is in the resistance, reveals some history about the Elgen. ''Storm of Lightning'' Hatch and the Elgen soldiers successfully overthrow the government of Tuvalu, and they take up base in their Starxource Plant. After the island's overthrow, Hatch has a meeting with the three board members, where they discuss the reproduction of the Glows. Hatch reveals that the Elgen scientists have developed a new electric-generator (powered by rats, respectively) called the Nova Starxource Pod, which grants the Elgen Corporation even more control to the world's energy (to the point where Elgen has a 98% monopoly of electrical supply in the world). After the meeting, Hatch learns that his former EGG (Elite Global Guard) David Welch has escaped from his brig on the Volta, the Elgen's science ship. He realizes that one of his Glows, Quentin, assisted him in his escape. Hatch, apoplectic with rage, captures Quentin and puts him in Cell 25, just like he did to Michael, and has a squad of Elgen officers arrest Bryan, Tara, Kylee, and Torstyn. In the book, it appears that the Elgen controls the Boise Police Department, implied by the fact that their chief (Taylor's father's boss) is partnered with an Elgen captain, as well as two policemen shown reading Elgen handbooks. The Elgen plants several pounds of cocaine in Julie Ridley's van, as well as samples of Taylor's blood, and have the police arrest her on the charges of drug possession and connection to the disappearance of her daughter (in an attempt to lure Taylor out). They are unsuccessful. ''Fall of Hades'' The Elgen Corporation's reign in the Tuvaluan government is almost completely ruined when Michael climbs to a tower on Hades Island and explodes when lightning strikes him. The explosion, similar to a nuclear bomb, blew Hades and a mass of the Elgen attackers into the sand, therefore decimating their forces. With barely any Elgen guards on the island, the Tuvaluans recoup after breaking out of prison and mount a rebellion. ''The Final Spark'' Hatch, who survived the explosion, calls in reinforcements from Taiwan, Peru, New Zealand, and the Philippines to protect him and regain control over Tuvalu (while leaving enough men to guard the Starxource plants). Paranoid that the natives could attack him, he arms everyone under his control with guns. When the Electroclan escapes in the Joule, the Elgen's floating treasury, he alerts the Philippines Secretary of Defense and tasks him to ambush the Joule with the Philippine Navy. The capture is successful, and he appoints Navy Captain Shool as the Elgen Army's chief admiral. At the end of the book, Hatch is defeated by Michael (who emerges from his God-like state after the explosion) by being vaporized into nothing, and the company is taken over by his father, Carl Vey, who faked his death to hide from the Elgen all these years. Under Vey's management, the Elgen Corporation is disbanded, and a new company, Veytric Inc., is formed in its place, presumably taking over the Elgen's Starxource operations, albeit with much less evil objectives. Employees *Dr. Hatch - CEO: He oversaw the production of the MEI and tested it on at least 59 infants. When he saw that seventeen infants had survived with electrical powers, he kidnapped them all and tried to force them into taking over the world with him. He was killed by Michael Vey. *Giacomo Schema - Chairman of the Board: Schema invested in the production of the MEI. After the machine failed, Schema and a group of investors became board members, and demoted Hatch. He was last seen abducted by Hatch's guards, but was freed when Hatch was killed. *Six, Seven, Eleven - Corrupt board members: They remained board members after Hatch overthrew the Elgen company, and supported his plans for world domination. They were killed during the Electroclan's attack on the Hatch Islands/Tuvalu. *Two, Three, Four, Five, Eight, Nine, Ten, Twelve - Original board members: They were presumably investors of the MEI when it failed. They were captured by Hatch when he overthrew the Elgen. However, they were freed by the Electroclan. Only board members Two and Ten were murdered. The survivors were captured by Hatch, and executed. *Elgen Soldiers - Security forces: Were hired as security guards, but turned into a private military commanded by Hatch. Most of them were incinerated on Hades after Michael's explosion. All of the remaining guards surrendered. *David Welch - Current CEO, former Head of Security: He was the commander of the Elgen Army until he defected to the Electroclan. He became the CEO after Hatch's death. *Dr. Steven R. Coonradt - Director of Research and Development: Coonradt temporarily became "the voice" and led the Electroclan on dangerous missions. He was set free when the Elgen surrendered. *Carl T. Vey - Current Chairman of the Board: Although not entirely an employee of the Elgen Corporation itself, he worked as a research manager at Pasadena General Hospital. He faked his death and led the resistance with Coonradt. After Hatch's death, he became the new chairman, replacing Schema and the original board of directors. *Elgen Scientists - Medical doctors and scientists: Helped develop the electric rats. Still employed by Elgen. *J.D. - Hired Bounty Hunter: He stroke a deal with Hatch to bring Welch and the Electroclan to him. He committed suicide to avoid being eaten alive by Hatch's rats. *Captain Shool - Chief Admiral of Elgen Navy: Once the leader of the Philippine Navy, he was personally appointed as Chief Admiral, in order to attack rebelling natives. He was killed when Michael blew his flagship up. Trivia *In the final Michael Vey book, it was revealed that Elgen was originally a small business known as Amberz before it was incorporated. *It is unknown if the corporation's legal name was "Elgen Corporation" or if it was "Elgen Inc.", seeing as the company is referred to by both names. **"Elgen Inc." is the corporate name for the company in newspapers and commercials, and on their website it is titled Elgen Incorporated. However, the resistance and Electroclan members refer to it as the "Elgen Corporation", so it is likely that Elgen Inc. is the company's actual legal name. However, the term "Elgen Corporation" is more used, so the company is more recognisable in those words. *It is unclear who founded the corporation in the 1980s. However, in Fall of Hades, a man named Briton Hill is the CEO of the company by the time Welch was hired, so it is possible that he was the founder. *After the end of The Final Spark, Michael's father takes over the company. It is unknown what the company does after this, or if it continues to operate the Starxource plants. However, it can be assumed that the latter is correct because the company's new name, Veytric, is a portmanteau of "Vey" and "Elec'tric'". **Typically, both names for the corporation suggest some sort of electrical energy production such as Vey-tric (Vey and electric) and El-gen (electricity and generation). *It is stated by the resistance members that the Elgen company is earning $7 billion dollars a year as an energy corporation. It is unknown of how much money the Elgen earned as a medical products company. **Ironically, in Storm of Lightning, the resistance chairman states that the Elgen holds $9 billion worth of assets. *The Elgen Corporation has one of the most powerful and well funded armies in the world, and has enough financial and economical resources to be a country itself, including total control of the electrical supply in many countries, and the ability to make partnerships and inroads to governmental organizations such as: **The Peruvian military (Battle of the Ampere) **The Taiwanese government and military (Hunt for Jade Dragon) **The Philippines Navy and Secretary of Defense (The Final Spark) **Two police forces in Idaho (Meridian Police Department in Rise of The Elgen and the Boise Police Department in Storm of Lightning) **The United States military (implied, in Rise of the Elgen) Navigation Category:Corporations Category:Power Hungry Category:Businessmen Category:Tyrants Category:Wealthy Category:Redeemed Category:Science Fiction Villains Category:Book Villains Category:Imperialists Category:Military Category:Homicidal Category:Genocidal Category:Misanthropes Category:Slaver Category:Gaolers Category:Kidnapper Category:Hegemony Category:Organizations Category:Totalitarians Category:Corrupt Officials Category:Mutilators Category:Doctors and Scientists Category:Necessary Evil Category:Lawful Evil Category:Fallen Heroes Category:Faux Affably Evil Category:Terrorists Category:Abusers Category:Polluters Category:Conspirators Category:Animal Cruelty Category:Arrogant Category:Master Manipulator Category:Elementals